Romanian village hosts Europe's largest wind farm

The winds of change have come to the Romanian village of Fantanele. The strong winds which blast in from the Black Sea, once a symbol of the town's poverty and isolation, have become a drawing card as Fantanele plays host to Europe's largest wind farm.

French newspaper Le Monde reports Czech company CEZ began work on the Fantanele wind farm in November 2008. The first turbine, of a projected 139 in Fantanele, was linked to the Romanian national grid by the company Transelectrica in June 2010. For the locals, the wind farm has been a substantial windfall - farmers who have allowed CEZ to use their land receive up to 3,000 euros a year. About a hundred local workers have found a job on the project, and local infrastructure – roads and bridges – have been improved to facilitate the installation of the turbines.

The second stage of the project, due for completion in 2011, will see the installation of a further 101 wind turbines in neighbouring Cogealac. Together the 240 turbines will have a power of 600 megawatts, the equivalent of the nuclear reactor at Cernavoda, in the south-east of Romania. The total investment by the CEZ Group will reach 1.1. billion euros. Once completed, the Fantanele and Cogealac wind farm will be the largest land-based wind farm in Europe.

Romania aims to produce 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, in line with European Union objectives, according to Le Monde.